Search Instructions

Searching for Test Names Only

To search for test name information only, please enter a test name in the form. Test names will be queried for a match. Use this search method if you feel you know the test you want but are unsure of the exact name. This search method searches names, not individual test contents.

The search currently is case insensitive, and a simple search and compound search will be performed (if you enter more than one word, the search will try to find the exact pattern, rather than searching each word indepedently - if no match is initially found, each individual word will be queried independently for a match). The entire list of laboratory tests is available for viewing. The Manual is generally organized by the name of the analyte rather than specimen type, e.g., "Sodium", not "Serum Sodium". Antibodies should generally be sought under the name of the Antigen, e.g., "Toxoplasma", not "Anti-Toxoplasma". Infectious disease testing should be searched under the causitive organism name rather than disease name. It may be necessary to look for key parts of the name to find an appropriate cross-reference to the listing.

Due to the constant updates to individual test entries, bookmarking individual tests is discouraged. If you do bookmark an individual test, and the link is broken in the future, you may have to perform the search again to locate the individual test entry. For example, if the test name changes from "Sodium" to "Sodium (Na)", the previous bookmark will need to be updated.

Using an Advanced Boolean Search Engine

This search option gives you maximum capability and flexibility to search the content of the entire Laboratory Manual: test contents, lab manual web page contents, or a complete combination of the two. You may make your request as simple or as complex as you desire, according to the syntax set out below. Form your search as a query, using a combination of text or phrases, eg., urea, "urea blood", as well as operators, eg., +, AND. To make a search, enter your query into the form and choose the scope of documents to be searched. A pull down list shows the scope of documents against which the query is made. You may choose to search the contents of tests only, the contents of the lab manual web pages only, or the complete collection of test and web page contents.

Your query results will be returned to you in the form of a structured list of links to your chosen set of searched documents. The results will be sorted according to a weighted boost parameter, by which the search engine scores the closeness of this document as a match to your query. A small sample of document text will be returned to you, with the query terms highlighted. Should you desire more information from that document, a link is provided for your convenience.

Query syntax:

To search for a word, just put that word into the Search box.

To search for a phrase, surround the phrase in "double quotes", such as "blood proteins".

Use the + (MUST_HAVE) and - (MUST_NOT_HAVE) operators, just as in Google query syntax, to indicate required and forbidden terms, respectively.

Enclose a combination of text and operators in parentheses.

Use any combination of boolean operators, quoted text, parenthetical text.

The following constructs are recognized:

Boolean operators 'AND', 'OR', and 'AND NOT'.

Prepended + plus and - minus, indicating that the test or web page content should be either required (MUST_HAVE) or forbidden (MUST_NOT_HAVE) the query term -- be it a single word, a phrase, or a parenthetical group.

If neither a + nor a - is prepended, the default meaning is SHOULD.

Logical groups, delimited by parentheses, (+urea +blood) AND NOT (urine).

Phrases, delimited by double quotes.

Default logical connector has two possible values: 'AND' and 'OR'. The default is 'OR', which means: return documents which match any of the query terms.